


Stuck

by Zo3ycasaNova



Category: One Piece
Genre: Ambush, Bounty Hunters, Family, Friendship, Ghost from the past, Gore, Graphic, Heartache, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Isolated, Mystery, Redemption, Revenge, Suspence, Unfinished Business, Violence, ZoSan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27905227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zo3ycasaNova/pseuds/Zo3ycasaNova
Summary: It's been 2 years since they've been whole. Surfacing shorty after the feud on Fishman Island our crew is graced with fresh air and sunny skies. Sanji's curious what happened to Zoro during their time apart although reluctant to shares his own experiences. All is well until ghosts from the past come back to claim one of their own. Not everything is as it seems. A bit graphic during later chapters.
Kudos: 11





	1. Surface

A salty cool blast hit the hull with a caring embrace as the massive bubble encasing the ship burst. Water sprayed out in each and every direction as if a rouge cannon ball had missed its target by a mile. The Sunny surfaced like a mythological creature from the depths of the ocean, strong and proud as the crew it carried.

They held on strong to anything within arm's reach as endured their ordeal. They made it. Finally they'd crossed into the second half of the grand line. There's no telling what the New World has in store for the lot of then.

It was damn near nostalgic, after all none of them had seen each other in two years. So many things have changed whether it is their personal wellbeing or appearance. The fact that they were able to meet after such a long time is an admirable feat in itself. The bond they shared for each other is unbreakable. It was just like old times. But who knows what the future may hold. Two years is a long time after all. Who knows what they'd gone through in that time.

They'd each endured their own personal trials after being launched off to different parts of the grand line. Some more injured than others. But to watch as your whole crew, or should I say family being pried from your finger tips. Not knowing whether or not any of them survived.

They've had to live through 10 individual trials, whether it involved intense training or preparation. Molding yourself into the image you hope to portray and stirring up a war, even sparing with the man you wish to best some day. It was an experience that changed, shaped, and bettered all of them.

It's been an intense 48 hour beneath the sea. In that time they discovered the mythical underwater civilization of Fishman. They've had the liberty to reconnect with some familiar faces, even ended up stopping an all out civil war. They also ended up making some long lasting friend in the process.

They were overly exhausted but glad. They finally got the chance test their abilities and work with one another again. It had been too long. Everyone missed each other and whether they'd like to admit it so did the pair of rivals.

...

The Straw-hat pirates sailed on to where ever the ocean may take them. The sun was high and so were their expectations of this new mysterious place called the New World.

"Luffy! That was incredible! All of those whales, I've never seen anything quite like that before!" Chopper pranced around the deck full of excitement. Luffy and Usopp joined in on the commotion. Their behavior hadn't changed even in the passing of two years. They were as amazed as always. It was delightful for them to experience this normalcy after so long.

Robin smiled looking down from the upper deck, a frothy drink held between her interlocked fingertips. Her family had all returned and she couldn't be happier. Franky was as the wheel holding steady against the current. A dorky smile plastered over his face as he near stroked the steering wheel. He was so pleased to see the Sunny in pristine condition after the time skip. He admitted at times he'd been worried, but luckily they had allies they could trust watching over it.

Nami couldn't wait to sprawl out on her favorite lawn chair. The sun shone so bright after that storm they'd came out of. There was nothing but the bright blue sky to complement the ocean; not even a single cloud in the sky. She figured what better time than now to relax. I mean they weren't in any hurry or being chased by Marines.

Sanji stepped back in the galley for some much needed inventory. Weekly meal planning was a must for this crew. Considering their captain could eat the weeks' worth by himself alone. He figured he'd figure out what exactly they needed to bulk up on. The kitchen looked just like it had when he left it, but the atmosphere had changed so much. It looked barren, almost like the liveliness had been wiped away by their absence. After much care and mild abuse from the disruptive crew everything should feel normal again.

Zoro wondered around the ship alone for a moment, familiarizing himself with each room and hall over again. Considering it'd taken him months to be able to navigate it successfully. His footsteps against the strong wood made a comfort sound that resonated off of the walls. It was pleasant, something he'd missed. After a while Zoro strolled into the galley, the muffled sound of spice jars and boxes being knocked together in the distance.

The door closed with the wind as the other walked in further. Sanji glanced over to see the taller, bulkier man stroll over to the bar and plop into the stool. "Hey Marimo," Sanji said shuffling multiple containers into cabinets.

He looked up eye narrowed on the cook, his expression hard to distinguish. But if Sanji had to put a label on it he would say he seemed concerned. Zoro looked away his mind churning with thought. Sanji too held a few questions for the man. He wondered how he'd gotten that scar over his left eye. It made him look so much more mature since they last saw each other. He sighed; having waited for an answer and receiving none he set down the jar of preserves in his hand and walked over to the counter.

He'd always kept booze under there, stashed away so good Zoro was never able to dig them out. He pulled out an aged bottle of sake and two cups. The uncapping peaked the others interest. His ears perked at the familiar sound, his mouth salivated as the corner of his lips creased into a grin. "If there's one thing you can't resist is a cup of anything intoxicating." Sanji scoffed knowing he was right, "So anyway what's with the dark cloud hanging over your head."

Zoro's grin dropped with a sigh as he reached for his cup, knocking it back with ease. "I hate to say it but I can't believe we actually made it this far." He said just as suddenly as he filled his cup again.

He caught himself right before he choked on his drink. The comment caught Sanji off guard. "Do you have that little faith in us?" He inquired, wiping a couple droplets from his chin before he capped the bottle. He was always so stingy when it came to his booze. The funny thing being he didn't really drink much, he just didn't want Zoro to drink it all. Or maybe that was Chopper elaborating on the post treatment Zoro always ignored.

"Well after everything that's happened, it'll probably be a shock to the world." Zoro answered almost pessimistically but with a hint of giddy in his voice.

Sanji's visible eyebrow furrowed annoyed with the topic of discussion. "Who cares, the world gonna get an even bigger shock once they see what we're capable of." Sanji retorted sharply as if he were offended.

Zoro chuckled as he seemed lost in some sort of nostalgia. Then he got all serious and the atmosphere noticeably thickened. It made the room feel as though several tons weighted over.

"It's truly incredible." He said after sometime, taking Sanji by surprise.

"How you figure?" Sanji inquired, raising an eyebrow at the odd comment. He wondered if he'd changed since their time apart.

Then something remarkable happened. Zoro smiled. And it wasn't some kind of cocky showboat one or even the one he wore occasionally to reassure the crew. Oh no this was the kind of smile that warms the soul, a relived and relaxed smile. A sign of peace kind of like the one Luffy wore.

"We're alive, we made it." He seemed to visibly exhale, seeming as though he'd held onto those words for the duration of the 2 years.

Sanji couldn't help but return a warm smile. He knew they were supposed to be rivals. But there was something about it that seemed right. I'm mean who said they had to fight every time they were in each other's presence.

He was also near jumping for joy on the inside. After all he had his kitchen back, his two favorite women, and then some. This was his home and he had a responsibility to withhold.

It was bliss. This time Sanji was the one to snag the bottle away. He filled his cup to the brim. After all it was time for a celebration. He tipped the bottle in the direction of friend noting the empty saucer in his hand, happy to oblige.

The two toast and drank together. Sanji had somewhat of a hard time with the burning in his throat. Zoro could see the flush red growing in the cooks cheeks as he settled in his seat. He on the other hand could drink sake like water.

"Say what happened to your eye? Are you blind now or what?" Sanji blurted out pointing at left side of the others face. The question shocked Zoro for a moment. He raised a hand to his eye, touching it lightly before he spoke.

"Mihawk gave that to me when I wasn't paying attention." A ginger smile crept into his face as he watched the reaction from the blond.

Sanji's jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he heard that name. "Mi.. hawk?" The words trickled from his parted lips, wondering if he'd heard him wrong. Because if he understood correctly Mihawk was the man he was supposed to beat.

"Did I hear you correctly?" Zoro nodded a smirk still on his face. Sanji's face was pure amazement. He already had a hard time trying to wrap his head around the fact. His eye wondered over to the scar over his chest.

He witnessed that predicament the last time they were together. He was so strong. Zoro lasted all of 5 minutes before that black blade sliced him open and sent him flying into the ocean.

That was the day they first met. At that time he had no idea what would be in store for him from there on out. "Hey lover cook, you get lost or something?"

Zoro said after a seemingly long silence, pulling Sanji out of whatever nostalgic funk he'd fallen into. "Oh no I'm fine it's just.. nice to be home after so long, I missed you guys." He smiled as he rose from his stool, the pink in his cheeks reflecting his chipper attitude.

Zoro poured himself another cup. He'd missed strong booze; Mihawk seemed to fancy wine over anything else. Zoro hated the sweetness of the stuff so he never drank it.

Sanji didn't seem to mind. He seemed to get lost in his spices again anyway. The ship rocked lightly with the waves bring with a nice familiar feeling, comfort. Zoro yawned; he hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.

He stood up and stretched before walking over to the door. He looked out of the little window and he could see the majority of everyone enjoying the sun. The way it was supposed to be.


	2. Island

It didn't take long for the log pose to catch on to a particularly small island to the north. After little debate and Luffy's fascination they headed in its direction. After spending all that time beneath the sea, they were more than eager to stretch their legs on dry land again.

Sanji and Zoro left the galley to join the others. The bottle of sake they shared moments before, has found a new home within Zoro's arm as he took another swig of the bitter stuff. He was working on a pretty good buzz and the blond didn't seem to mind, consider it a gift.

"Are we stopping already?" The swordsman uttered, noticeably buzzed by the flushness in his cheeks. He didn't mind either way. He liked to go with the flow. They didn't have anywhere to be after all, they were free and together again.

After little discussion they were each given a task for the day, chores and such. Zoro and Sanji would go ahead and scout the island since they were only able to get so close. They didn't plan to stay for long, just enough to blow off steam.

"Please tell me you kicked that habit of getting lost while we were apart." Sanji scoffed, following Zoro over the side of the ship.

"Not so sure about that one." Zoro chucked as he finished the bottle and set down as the two of them leapt from boulder to boulder towards the shore.

Their feet hit the grassy surface with a heavy thud. Sanji landed a bit more gracefully in comparison to Zoro. "I'm not promising anything other than that stupid look on your face when I get the bigger catch."

Zoro's cheeks were flush and red reflecting how welcomed the alcohol was. He was feeling pretty good right about now better than he had in a long time. He took in a deep breath. The scent of the salty sea air mixed well with the dirt from the inland.

"Is that cockiness I hear in your voice?" Sanji raised an eyebrow, Zoro flashed a grin.

"I hope you haven't gotten rusty otherwise you're gonna enjoy eating my dust!" Sanji spat as he leapt into the air and shot high up over the tree line. It was instantaneous and Zoro was a little too buzzed for all of this.

"Hey you bastard, that's cheating!" He barked into the air his eyebrows furrowing out of irritation. Sanji never looked back to acknowledge the other although he clearly heard him. He smiled happily although he would never tell him he'd missed him.

He missed everyone. It was a rough two years. He even went as far as to lose his own mind at some point. The thought of it made him shudder. The image of a gender bent Ivankov flashed in his mind, almost making him fall out of the sky. "Never again.." He whispered to himself.

The higher he flew the more he could see. One thing he hadn't seen yet were any signs of life. It was strange usually he'd pass a few birds or something but this was strange. It didn't take long for him to get to the other side. Down below him there was a nice clearing. He seemed to bend the air with every swift kick. Even being able to slow to a stop in midair and glide to the ground.

Sanji figured there'd be no better place to get started. His freshly polish black dress shoes met the grass with a sort of elegance. He scopes out his surroundings. The island sure held an abundance of rock. Even the shore around had been littered with the dangerous deposits. It would be hard for any living creature to survive here.

He skimmed the forest noticing a few pairs of eyes among the trees. He stepped up closer to get a better look when several crows flew out at him and knocked him on his ass. His heart thudded off in his chest but he was quick to pick himself up. He slicked his hair back composing himself.

Thank goodness no one was around to see. He sighed, mentally kicking himself for being scared of a couple stupid birds. He stepped up closer dusting himself off when he suddenly caught a whiff of something foul. Although it smelt putrid curiosity always gets the best of him and he had to investigate.

But when he peered through the brush all he found were several woodland creatures slaughtered and scattered amongst the leaves. It took a bit of strength in order to keep his stomach from churning.

There was no doubt about it that these killings were senseless. Sanji stepped a bit closer, noticing something strange. It was a weapon on some sort, it was pale white and he couldn't tell what it was made of. It he had to guess it resembled bone. But the shape of it didn't make any sense.

"Did somebody carve this?" He uttered under his breath. Sanji didn't like this feeling he had deep down. There was something very wrong about this place.

>>>

Zoro gazed into the sky following the black dot until he fell below the trees. 'How the hell does he do that?' He thought to himself sighing as he made his way into the forest. He was feeling pretty good right about now, his mind was nice and fuzzy. He took in a deep breath the scent of the salty air blending with the earth relaxed him. But it was eerily quiet. It gave him a bad vibe which he was trying so hard to ignore. But the further he ventured the stranger it seemed.

"What's wrong with this place?" He huffed. He hadn't even seen so much as a lizard since they landed. It was strange but he didn't think about it too hard. He didn't try to hide himself and he didn't even really feel like hunting. He probably just scared off whatever living things. Perhaps he'd just go out for a stroll. This island didn't seem very big from the sea. He figured he'd just go straight and make it to the other side.

He drew his sword effortlessly gliding through thickets of untamed vegetation. Everything stilled for a moment, not even the air shifted. Then everything fell into a neat mess at his feet as he made his path. He rested his arm on his katana at his hip and continued on his way. Little did he know there were two sets of eyes watching him from up above.

A couple of kids were concealed high up in the branches. The two exchanged glances before watching the wondering swordsman venture further and further. They were both considerably young, maybe 15. The boy, Kai was a few months older than his sister Ami. The reason for their presence here however was premeditated. As they will soon learn the hard way that there are eyes and ears everywhere. Especially in the New World where dangers lurk in even the most innocent looking places.

The two looked at each other and back down, observing their target waiting for the perfect time to strike. To the untrained eye they wouldn't seem like much, just a couple of youth. For now they concealed themselves, hiding their breath. they were here for him.

Kai slipped something out of his pocket, a metal tube of some sort probably the size of a scope and handed it to Ami. She took it without hesitation and nodded. Their window was small but she knew what to do, this was just another job. That's how she had to think about it.

After they do this they can return see the light of day tomorrow, live just a little while longer. It was him or them they had no choice. She gripped the pipe harder before Kai disappeared. He would give her the opening she needed for a clear shot. This was who they were.

>>>

Zoro couldn't shake this bad feeling he had, that that wouldn't stop him from trying. The last thing he wanted was for something to ruin his buzz. He couldn't ignore it anymore and when he heard a rustling above it proved his suspicions. What he didn't expect to find was a kid.

"I knew there was someone keeping an eye on me." He remained quiet. He furrowed his brow when the boy produced a small steel dagger and guarded. Zoro pouted really not wanted to pick a fight with some kid. He really wanted to relax today.

"Strong silent type huh?" He sighed holding his katana up urging the other to attack. They went back and forth a couple hits. The kid making sure not to get too close, Zoro on the other hand was edging to get closer. Show this kid who he's messing with so he will learn not to mess with strangers. His hits get harder against him and it's not long before Zoro breaks Kai's weapon.

He leaps back in order to avoid his attack. "Are you done messing around, tell me what you want."

Kai discards the broken blade. He takes in a deep breath, leaning his head back facing the sky. He doesn't answer and Zoro's getting very impatient. He's ready to finish this and be on his way when suddenly he speaks. "You can't run from your past."

"Who sent you?!"

Kai flashed a big crooked smile. "That's the least of your worries."

Zoro looked confused at first but his mood changed drastically when pale white spikes grew at the tips of his fingers. He shouldn't be surprised, all the weird he's seen within his life time this was barely scratching the surface. Still a situation he'd hoped not to find himself in.

Kai points in his direction aimed with a shard. He giggled, imagining the damage he could do to him. Zoro could see the sadistic thoughts churning within the child's mind. As much as he didn't want to he had to consider the ultimate solution and ending this poor child.

He gripped the hilt waiting for his attack when suddenly the spikes shot off like bullets. Kai didn't take in account that a man his size would dodge them so easily even under the influence. Kai grinned it wouldn't be fun if it wasn't a challenge. If anything this was just the warm up. This is where their home team advantage comes in handy.

He fabricated a blade like shard, just begging to pick a fight. He looked up at Ami and nodded. She nodded back holding out her hand, she slowly turned her palm up and Kai could feel himself become lighter. Zoro still couldn't quite figure his reason for being here. Or what he was about the face but anyone willing to attack him in broad day light was begging to be put in the grave.

It was a quick scuffle between the two of them. Kai was quicker than he gave him credit for but he never let Zoro get too close, just enough to distract him. It doesn't take long for Ami to get a clear shot. As Zoro lunged sword aimed for the kids head when something sharp stuck him in the nape of his neck. It stunned him for a moment and he backed off.

"What the..?" It was the opening Kai's been waiting for. It didn't take long for their secret weapon to take effect.

Zoro's vision hazed over, he blinked hard in futile attempts at clearing but it remained in and out and when he opened his eye the kid was gone.

"Shit.." He felt the back of his neck. There was this ceaseless burning sensation where something stuck him. He set his hand over to the spot feeling the blood ooze from the back of his neck. It was a needle mark. 'Little snot got me, from behind?'

This was getting stranger by the minute and he really didn't want to call for anyone over a kid. He would never hear the end of it if he did. His head began to throb thinking about it just irritated him. He had to stay focused, as much as he'd like to he couldn't drop his guard again. He ignored the sick feeling he was getting and continued to look for his assailant.

He was sure he hadn't left yet. Yet Zoro wasn't in a mood to play hide in seek. There were only so many placed he could be. Up above the young ones watch him.

"Did it kick in?" Ami uttered hushed.

"Not yet."Kai quickly returned his eyes never leaving the target.

"He's big; do you think it was enough?" She questioned again. Kai nodded. He'd done this a couple times against high risk targets and it never fails.

"Give it a few minutes before it sinks into his blood stream. Then we strike."

She nodded. They remained placid statues perched up high waiting for the perfect moment. When Zoro started to get restless they knew it was beginning to take effect.

"You ready?" Kai whispered although he knew the answer. "Wait till he follows me, then come up behind."

Zoro was getting edgy looking for any signs of the brat plowing through the woods. When he found none he assumed he must have disappeared into the trees again. 'Assassins are getting younger.'

The green haired man thought, feeling ridiculous for being fooled by a child. He didn't like this but it seemed like he needed to repay the favor. It'd be nothing to clear this forest. Zoro readied his attack when he heard a rustle in the trees. He knew the kid was fleeing and he wouldn't let him get away from this.


	3. Ordeal

Zoro followed the lines of trees until he could just barely see the sun peaking threw the foliage. He slowed up for a minute feeling a bit off. It was strange his depth perception felt off. He was pretty sure he stuck him with some kind of poison. 

It didn’t take long before he’d confirmed his suspicions when he noticed his balance was increasingly harder to maintain. He took a breath, forcing his body to straighten. So long as he could still stand he was determined to find that brat. 

Even with his senses off it didn’t take long for Zoro to catch up to the kid. He cornered him on a beach on the far side of the island. He didn’t know the hell his problem was but it was obvious he was looking for some advantage to fight. Still he hadn’t the idea there was another lurking up above him.

“What the hell is your problem?” Zoro forced his muscles to relax, trying to sooth the anxiety that'd been building. There was something oddly familiar about this situation. 

Kai was good at playing coy, he’d mastered emotionally manipulation and mimicked whatever he thought fit the situation. The only thing the longer he did it the more faked and false his emotion became. 

“I’m a huge fan of yours, Kai and it is an honor.” The bright blue eyed boy who stood tall against the sun bowed before the pirate. A moment ago he was hell bent on taking his head off, now he would attempt to appeal to Zoro’s kinder nature. I mean who could fight a kid.

Then he continued to speak, “I’m impressed; even with your shitty sense of direction you managed to catch up with me.”

Zoro furrowed his brow his hand already on the hilt of his katana. He had a bad feeling about this but at the same time a hunch that this was something he needed to deal with. There’s no telling what this ‘child’ could be capable of. He’d seen a lot over the years. He’d already proven he was able to get a hit off and actually slip him something. 

“It’ll be the biggest regret.” Kai smiled wickedly. Zoro was generally impressed but at the same time he couldn’t take anything lightly in this cruel world. Killer children didn’t seem too far off a concept considering how he’d set out on his own at a young age. 

"What's your deal?" Zoro inquired as he raised an eyebrow now enveloped in curiosity. The teen in front of him lifted his head to look into the other in the eye. Then he went back on the offensive. Zoro was quick to catch his attack but he was drastically slower than normal and just a bit off his mark. 

Still he managed to hold it together. The two of them exchanged a few blows before Kai’s strange blade broke. He paused and Zoro waited for his move.

“Why’d you come here anyway?” This kid sure liked to ask pointless questions.

“How about it’s none of your business,” Zoro was calmer and more collected than Kai would have liked but it didn’t matter.

“What were you pretending to hunt?” That got his attention. He was testing him now. “You see we’ve been watching ya. You guys sure do leave a nice meaty trail to follow ya know that?”

“Kind of hard considering I killed most of the wildlife.” Kai didn’t have an ounce of remorse in his words, just cold collected malice. He probably enjoyed playing target practice with that weird devil fruit he had.

“Alright kid, quit the games. If you wanna be a psychopath that’s fine but leave me the hell out of it.”

“You must be afraid.” Kai commented hoping to strike a nerve and now he was invested.

“Excuse me? Why are you really here, who sent you?” Zoro inquired.

Kai leapt forward seeming to throw something at the swordsman whose weapon was just as quick to the draw. It was those damn shards again. Zoro was able to dodge most of them and defect the rest with his blade. But the last one however found a home in his right shoulder. 

It’d happened so fast that he was lucky enough to avoid them. Zoro backed off for the moment. There was a ringing in his ear grew stronger as he pulled the object from his forearm. Even though it was small it left a nice two inch hole in his skin.

This was bad; his vertigo feeling was going to get him stuck again. He needed to keep his guard up. From nearby tree line a mysterious girl emerged. She seemed to launch herself into the air and float to the ground behind Kai. The woman was dressed in all black except for her dark red tucked underneath a black bandana.

Her smile was bitter sweet as she pulled her palms together. Then she slowly pulled then apart and thrust them down over Zoro. Suddenly his body felt weighted down and found it hard to move. Zoro’s eyes widened as the other, seemingly been ignored sibling hurled his spear in his direction. It was a surprise attack. He should’ve expected some kind of dirty play.

Zoro moved to block it but the girl cast her ability to make the object even lighter and simultaneously weighed him down. It was too fast and Zoro was unable to avoid it. It pierced his left shoulder and sent him flying into the nearest surface. He had the wind knocked out of him when he collided with a boulder.

It took him a minute to realize what had just happened as he struggled to catch his breath he slid down to a sitting position. The girl joined her brother’s side. Her smile melted away as she raised her hand once again. The space around her hand fluctuated and seemed to pull and push. "This is Ami, my sister."

Zoro cracked a slight smile even through the pain. He looked the pair over. “What are you murderous twins? That’s not unoriginal or anything.”

Kai trotted over to the pirate and crouched down to eye level, not allowed the other a chance to stand up. Even if his body started to give up on him he wouldn’t go so quietly. "What’s your malfunction? Are you Marine's or pirates, bounty hunters or what?" Zoro spat out.

A sadistic smile complemented with the slightly crooked teeth spread across Kai’s face. "You know, it is best not to worry about trivial little details like that. Let’s just say our master sent us to collect a life dept.” Zoro’s eye widened it was only a matter of time before his past came knocking on his door again. 

Kai eyed the infamous swordsman. He leaned in closer whispering in his ear only a name, just enough to confirm his suspicions. “Hanzo sends his regards.” Zoro’s heart dropped.

Kai set his hand over Zoro’s stomach and pierced his stomach with a bone spear. His face twisted in anguish as he turned sickly pale as Kai drilled the spike further in pinning him. The kid smiled as Zoro stifled his cries of anguish. He was too proud to give him that satisfaction too. He was reluctant for punishment.

“Any last words," Ami spoke finally, visibly wishing to end this quickly. Zoro fought the pain and focused on the girl. Even in the state he was in he could see right through her. That expression was also a mask and he could see read the seams. 

She didn't want to be here. Unlike her brother she didn’t seem like the kind who enjoyed doing things like this. She avoided his eye contact. Zoro sighed annoyed he was unable to move. "I know it sounds typical but could you leave my crew alone. They've gone through so much already."

The boy scoffed figuring that would be his final request, "Rest assured our client only wanted you dead, as much as I'd love to take on the infamous Monkey D. Luffy we have other contacts to fill." Zoro smiled and seemed to visibly exhale, "Well that's good."

Kai stabbed the spear further into his body and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He groaned out weakly. His arms wouldn’t move, he couldn’t sense his swords and he was coming to terms with whatever happens. He’d had a good life.

“Just because we’re not willing to go after your captain doesn’t mean we won’t enjoy killing you.” The sadistic teen chucked as he fiddled with a few long projectile like bone shards. He fiddled them between his fingers all while Zoro regained his composure. He was panting hard, fighting the urge to pass out.

"Your turn my dear." He hummed to himself the smile never leaving his face as he stepped away. Only to be replaced by his sister who was a few inches shorter and didn’t seem like the torture type. She held her hands out but visible hesitated when she made eye contact with their victim. 

"You don't seem like you want to be here.." Zoro huffed, wincing with each word that trailed from his lips. Blood ran from his nose and down his neck as his chest slowly rose and fell. But he seemed so calm.

The comment caught the girl off guard but the way she carried herself was sort of like how Robin used to when they first met, as if she did what she had to get by. Her eyes were dark and sincere but almost seemed to look through the swordsman.

“You know I could say the same thing.” She scoffed at his coy remark. 

“You’re just pawns.” Zoro spat blood in their direction. He’d been in their place years ago, that man they worked for was not who he said he was but there would be no convincing this twisted kids. Kai waited silently as Ami was quick to retort.

"We do what we have to for our survival. I'm sure you understand that better than anyone. After all you used to be a bounty hunter and a rather good one too. Just because you became a pirate doesn’t mean anything’s changed." She wasn't entirely wrong. He could relate with her, after all he was a bounty hunter for a good portion of his journey. 

Not much has changed; they still did what they had too to survive to see another day. He understood better than anybody else.  
You do whatever it takes to survive but there are times when you need to think about others verse yourself, he had to learn that along the way. There were some situations they were just barely able to get out of. This wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened. Things from the past will always come back to bite you in the ass. He was such an idiot for seeing through their trap.

His vision blurred as he felt himself slipping, he fought hard to stay coherent. The girl could see it as well. Even after being pinned down he seemed like a man whose looks could kill. He didn’t know why he was so special but one thing was certain after this mark they’d have one hell of a pay off.  
Zoro panted patiently waiting for the woman to finish him. The only thought in mind was, 'I hope the crew doesn't get too worked up over this.'

"It’s nothing personal, just how it has to be.” He could tell Ami was more emotionally intact in comparison to her brother. As much as she was good at hiding it, it was obvious she didn’t want this life. They’ve lived it so long she believes this is how it has to be. He accepted his fate.

Zoro's eye wondered between the two of them. He knew he should have been terrified or something but he in truth was rather calm about the whole situation. Like he’d come to peace with his demise a long time ago. 

She twisted her hands in a weird pattern and flicked her wrist. The spikes sticking out of his body were forced down like a hammer to a couple of nails pinned still to the boulder. It was instantaneous his breath hitched before blood began pouring from his wounds. He stifled in any cries of anguish and it didn’t take long before he’d succumb to the pain altogether. His head fell back against the rock as his eyes rolled back and shut. 

The girl put her hands in her pockets and Kai stepped up close feeling Zoro’s neck for a pulse. It was faint but it was enough to convince the derange brother to want to ensure his kill. He formed a bone shard at the end of his index finger and held it to his throat but before he could fillet the others throat open like a fish his sister spoke up.

“Wait Kai,” He hesitated if only at the last second, the pointed edge stopped just at the base of Zoro’s neck.

“Why!” He was a bit impatient and easily irritable and she didn’t like the way he’d been acting lately. He was losing himself to this work; he didn’t have to carve up every target they came across. The fact that he pointlessly hunted the animals here was an eye opener and she just let him do it.

“Leave him be, he’ll bleed out in peace. It’s the least we can do for him.” Ami spoke soft. She was the only one able to speak to him after everything they’ve been through but only just barely. He was slipping and she could tell. 

It took him a moment and he seemed to once it over in his head but he decided against it purely for the fact she said not to. That was it. Otherwise he would have painted the beach with his blood. He sighed, shooting the dart into the palm beside them.

“You win, let’s get going.” He stood and they motioned to leave when he noticed his swords. He figured he wouldn’t need them anymore. So he swiped the pretty white one for his boss. Ami didn’t say anything just ready to disappear.


End file.
